Kate James and The Truth About Hope

The Wranglers are happy to welcome author Kate James to the round corral today. Kate is a fellow Harlequin Heartwarming author with an exciting new book, The Truth About Hope and a giveaway, but first she's answering questions!

Thank you for hosting me on your site!

1.    What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?

There are lots of textbook answers but I look at it simplistically. I write to entertain readers with well-written, engaging stories, set in intriguing places and with strong, likeable characters.

For me to achieve this, I want my characters to be relatable and likable, the hero and heroine to be people you care about and would like to spend time with. I also think a well-written book will draw you in and keep you engaged. Every scene should be interesting and compelling enough to keep you turning pages. Last week, a reader sent me an e-mail that included the following:

“I brought your book along with me all day yesterday so I could read it - I didn't want to put it down. I was even reading while standing in line at the bank.”

A comment like this means the world to me! Finally, I think stories should be unpredictable. There should be enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing until the very end.

I would love to hear readers’ views on this!

2.    When did you first consider yourself a writer?

It still surprises me sometimes, especially considering that I haven’t been at it very long. If someone else were to ask me, I would say that if they are passionate about it and have started writing, they are a writer. For me, it was when I finished my first manuscript.

3.    What do you like to do when you are not writing?

I like to read, of course, but I also love the outdoors and staying active, whether spending time with our dogs, hiking, cycling our working in our gardens. Time with family and friends is also precious.

4.    Where are you from and what do you love best about your hometown?

I live in a small town north of Toronto, in Ontario, Canada. Although we’re a reasonable driving distance from Toronto, I like the more relaxed feel of our hometown, the natural beauty that surrounds us and how friendly people are.

5.    Do you have a favorite quote or saying?

This is a great question, but I have to admit that it stumped me. After considerable thought, I am sorry to disappoint but the best thing I could come up with is referring to our dogs as our “furry, four-legged kids.”

6.    If you could spend the afternoon with one writer, living or dead, who would it be and what would you talk about?

There are so many fascinating people I would love to have the opportunity to talk with. I will give you an unconventional answer and say writer and philosopher Ayn Rand. I would be interested to hear her explain what drove her philosophies and—particularly later in her life—her personal choices.

The Truth About Hope
by Kate James
Adult Contemporary Romance
May 1st 2015 by Harlequin Heartwarming

Who is Hope Wilson?

Is she the girl her former hometown thinks she is? Or the girl Luke Carter once loved—and maybe still does?

When Hope returns to Canyon Creek, Texas, to honor her father’s last wishes, there’s only one person on her mind: her high school sweetheart, Luke. The boy she lied to when she had to leave Canyon Creek as a teen, finding it easier to hide what she really felt than deal with the grief of loss. Her father’s fortune could make a big difference to Canyon Creek—but Hope finds that the townspeople have a long memory about his misdeeds. With a plan to make amends on his behalf, Hope learns the truth about herself. And the truth about love.


Kate James spent much of her childhood abroad before attending university in Canada. She built a successful business career, but her passion has always been literature. As a result Kate turned her energy to her love of the written word. Her writing has been recognized with a number of awards, including first place honors for Silver Linings in both the First Coast Romance Writers' Published Beacon Contest and ACRA's Heart of Excellence Readers’ Choice Award. Her November Harlequin Heartwarming release, A Child's Christmas, received first-place honors from Southern Magic, the Birmingham Chapter of the Romance Writers of America, for the 2015 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence!

Kate married her husband, Ken, in an elegant, ocean-front wedding on a tropical island. When they are not traveling, they split their time between their properties in southern and central Ontario in Canada, with their beloved black Labs, Harley and Logan.

Kate’s next novel is the first book in her K-9 Squad Trilogy, and is scheduled for release on October 1, 2015.

Follow Kate's Tour:

April 24th - 
Launch
April 26th - Word Wranglers & Write & Rewrite
April 27th - Underneath the Covers
April 29th - Zerina Blossom's Books
April 30th - I Am A Reader
May 8th - Grand Finale

Tour Giveaway

$30 Amazon Gift Card (INT)
5 Print Copies of The Truth About Hope (US/CAN Only)
1 ebook of The Truth About Hope (INT)
Ends May 15th


Comments

  1. Thank you for hosting me today on your blog, ladies!

    Happy reading.

    Kate

    ReplyDelete
  2. Glad you're here, Kate. I hope the book does wonderfully--it deserves to!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment